1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a powertrain testing apparatus for performance testing of a powertrain having an input shaft and an output shaft that are disposed on different axes.
2. Description of the Related Art
Performance testing of powertrains, e.g., an automatic transmission (hereinafter referred to as “A/T”), employs an A/T testing apparatus 9 like that shown in FIG. 6. This A/T testing apparatus 9 includes an input motor 92 that simulates and replicates rotation of an engine, and an output motor 93 that simulates and replicates load that is applied to an output shaft 83 of an A/T 8. The A/T testing apparatus 9 includes a support stand 94 for holding the housing 81 of the A/T 8, an input motor 92 connected to the input shaft 82 of the A/T 8 and an output motor 92 connected to the output shaft 83 of the A/T 8. When the A/T 8 is mounted and connected, tests of the performance of its shifting operations and the like are performed by rotating the input motor 92 at a desired torque and rotational speed. The A/T testing method using the A/T testing apparatus 9 described above may be, for example, like that disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2001-165282 or No. 2000-258303.
However, as noted above, with the A/T testing apparatus 9 disclosed in the related art, performance testing is carried out with the housing 81 of the A/T 8 in a fixed state. Accordingly, in performance testing using the A/T testing apparatus 9, it is not possible to check what effect vibrations, and the like, transmitted from a road surface, have on the A/T 8. Such vibrations would be transmitted to the A/T 8 if it were mounted in actual travel of a vehicle along a road.
In addition, more particularly, in the case of A/Ts used in front-wheel drive vehicles, inter-shaft distances between an input shaft and a pair of output shafts, that are disposed on an axis that is different from that of the input shaft, vary depending on the type of A/T. Accordingly, there is a need for a testing apparatus that can be easily adjusted for different inter-shaft distances.